Dog aggression of any kind can be an extremely terrifying ordeal and can put owners in a predicament. Owners are challenged with the thought that their beloved pet could do harm to another person or animal. In most cases aggression will cause the owners to isolate the dog or the dog must wear a muzzle at all times. These are not solutions to the problem rather just a way to work around it, and sadly aggressive dogs are usually put to sleep.

Aggression is usually due to an underlying cause of other behavioral issues that can be corrected with a structured rehabilitation and training program. In a lot of cases most aggression is fear based. The professionals summarize the cause of aggression as this: at one point the dog was scared of something and acted aggressively. The reaction resolved the situation at that time, however because the owner didn't correct the dog promptly, the dog learned that acting aggressive was a appropriate way to handle situations where they felt fear.

Any size dog can be aggressive. When larger dogs act out in aggression they are harder to handle so they are looked upon differently than a Chihuahua acting aggressively. Aggression can be classified as: barking, growling, stillness, lunging, charging, showing teeth, snapping, biting or shaking. A chihuahua may express aggression differently than a Doberman but the underlying cause of the aggression may be the same.

Pet owners try to avoid the stimuli that triggers the aggression in their dogs, which takes a toll on the owners. Trying to avoid what triggers the aggression causes owners not to socialize their dogs in public places and ultimately they spend less time with their dog. Through a process of socialization and training, Rocky Road K9 is confident that most aggression cases can be rehabilitated so pet owners can enjoy life with their dogs again.